A guide to godlynesse or a Treatise of a Christian life shewing the duties wherein it consisteth, the helpes inabling & the reasons parswading vnto it ye impediments hindering ye practise of it, and the best meanes to remoue them whereunto are added diuers prayers and a treatise of carnall securitie by Iohn Douname Batcheler in Diuinitie and minister of Gods Word.

§. Sect. 7 The third rea∣son taken from the necessity of this exer∣cise.

The third and last reason is taken from the necessity of this holy exer∣cise, the neglect whereof depriueth vs of all the former benefits and priui∣ledges. For thereby we lose the comfort and ioy which wee haue in this sweet communion with God; we become insensible of our sinnes and spi∣rituall wants, and so grow carelesse in vsing those good meanes for the mortifying of the one, and supplying of the other. Wee take the ready way to continue in carnall security, and to liue in our sinnes without re∣pentance. We lye open to the tentations of our spirituall enemies, and easily fall into their secret ambushments at vnawares, by reason wee ne∣uer thinke of them, nor of the meanes whereby we may escape them. We are soone deceiued with our owne false hearts, when as wee neuer sound their deceits vnto the bottome, and giue Satan leaue to fill them with worldly and wicked thoughts, and with sensuall and carnall desires and lusts, when as he findeth them like empty houses, swept cleane, and clee∣red of all good meditations, and garnished with sloth, vanity & security, the chiefe ornaments wherein he delighteth. We lose piece-meale all our spirituall armour, and not repairing the breaches which haue been made by the enemies of our saluation, we lye open to their assaults, & are easily vanquished in the next incounter, whilest wee neuer thinke of any ap∣proching danger. We defraud our soules of a chiefe part of their food, whereby they should be nourished in all sauing grace, and strengthened vnto all Christian duties: we lose the heat and feruour of our zeale and de∣uotion, which being no naturall qualities residing in their proper ele∣ments,

coole and decline vvhen we withdraw from thē the fuell by which they are nourished. Wee lose the comfort of our heauenly freedome, when as we neuer haue our conuersation there, and suffer our hearts to lye groueling vpon the earth without any spirituall motions, which like the peyzes & plummets of a clock, do naturally descend & sinke downe, vnlesse they be often pulled vp with spirituall and heauenly meditations. Finally, we put out, or cloze vp the eyes of our soules, so as they cannot looke into our selues, nor into our spirituall estate, to see our miseries, that we may be humbled, nor the meanes of our freedome and deliuerance, that wee may be comforted; our pouerty and defects, nor Christs riches and full pay∣ment, our naturall defects, and spirituall abilities in him that strengthen∣eth vs, our gifts and graces, our wants and weaknesses; our sinnes com∣mitted, our duties neglected or performed, our dangers, and meanes to escape them; our way to happinesse, and what progresse wee haue made in it. And as we cannot, through this neglect of meditation, take notice of our selues, so are we thereby estranged from God, neither seeing nor obseruing his nature or attributes, his mercy to loue him, his iustice to feare him, his power and truth in his promises, that we may beleeue and trust in him; the administration both of his benefits conferred vpon those that loue and obey him, nor of his Iudgements and punishments, threa∣tened and inflicted vpon those who continue in their sinnes, that by this experience of others good and harmes, wee may become wise in chusing such a course as may gaine the one, and auoyd the other.

Notes

• Mat. 12. 45.